It’s a hot summer in L.A. already (yes, any temperature over 85 degrees here is “hot”), and although I’m an avid water drinker, I also love iced tea. Recently, I tried two delicious flavors from Asante Mama: hibiscus tea and lemongrass herbal tea.
It’s a funny story of how I learned about these teas. Originally, I received a package of Asante Mama Papaya Leaf Tea in my influencer gift bag from this year’s SoCal Mom’s Great Big Family Play Day. I brewed the tea (hot) but wasn’t too keen on the flavor. So I posted the tea to gift to someone on my local Buy Nothing group, saying it “wasn’t my cup of tea.” A few weeks later, I received a personal message from Deb, the COO of Asante Mama, who said a friend of hers sent her a screenshot of my post regarding the tea, and that she wanted to chat with me about it. Wow, I had no idea my post would make it’s way up the chain. After chatting with her, I learned the bitter taste is due to the enzyme it contains, called “Papain” which aids in digestion, and is used to treat stomach-related issues. Oops, I probably should have looked it up online before drinking, otherwise I would have known this tea is mainly consumed for medicinal purposes. Deb, who is also the U.S. sales rep of Asante Mama, is local to L.A. and offered me to try samples of their more flavorful teas. After meeting her, learning more about the company, and tasting the new teas, I’m a believer in the brand and encourage you to try it too!
About Asante Mama
Asante Mama means ‘Thank You Mama’ in Swahili. It was created out of the personal commitment and passion of Pamela Anyoti Peronaci. Her goal of was to increase productivity in agriculture and create employment and income in a sustainable way, improve livelihoods for farmers, while respecting the environment. The mission is “Doing Business and Doing Good.” Asante Mama directly supports the income of over 7,000 families (*update from COO: 10,000 families), and helps create better access to education, health and social services to her countrymen. Currently, Asante Mama produces all natural, organic and conventional herbal teas, infusions, culinary and aromatic herbs and spices in Uganda.
Hibiscus Tea
I’ve had hibiscus tea before, so I knew how it would taste. Deb recommended I try it iced, as she likes mixing it with lemonade. I brewed mine with honey, let it cool, then drank it with ice. The flavor was delicious, and it was very refreshing. The taste is a little tangy, which I like, but am glad I put the honey in to offset the tanginess. Traditionally, hibiscus is used as a diuretic and to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
[affiliate link below]
Lemongrass Herbal Tea
I like the taste of lemongrass, and used it for the first time a few years ago when I made Thai food from scratch. It’s a very earthy flavor that is slightly sour and tangy. Lemongrass is known for it’s anti-inflammatory agents, which makes sense because whenever I feel sick with a sore throat, I eat Tom Yum soup. I enjoy this tea hot, but I’m sure it tastes good cold too. It’s a quicker (and less calorie laden) way for me to get my lemongrass fix, and easier to consume, which hopefully in turn, will make me less prone to getting sick!
p.s. I got these in teabags but they are also available as loose leaf tea
[affiliate link below]
Asante Mama
Website: asantemama.com
on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2t4MjX3
Disclaimer: No monetary compensation was exchanged for this post. Westside Mommy received product in order to facilitate this post. All opinions are honest and 100% my own.
